Belhaven University is resuming online classes after it was hit by a cyberattack earlier this month. 

Belhaven University President Roger Parrott said that the university suspended access to portions of its internal network on March 6 when the attack was identified. 

“We immediately took impacted systems offline and engaged nationally recognized cybersecurity specialists to assist with the investigation and recovery process,” Parrott said in a March 11 statement. “We’ve also been in communication with law enforcement regarding the incident.”

Although the university has not released specific details about the attack including which campus functions were affected, some Belhaven students have reported being unable to log into the university’s Canvas system which houses class assignments and information. 

The university has also not commented on who may be responsible or if there were any demands made. Parrott said that although they do not believe sensitive information was compromised, the incident remains under investigation. 

“At this stage of the investigation, we have no evidence indicating that personal information has been compromised, though the investigation is still underway.”

Two women seated at a table in a courtyard surrounded by bushes and trees
Belhaven University will resume access to its online programs on March 19 after the university restricted access to several systems due to a cyber attack. Photo courtesy Belhaven University

The Belhaven cyberattack is the second cyberattack this year on a major Mississippi campus. On Feb. 19, the University of Mississippi Medical Center suffered a ransomware attack that forced the medical system to take its computer networks online. It took nearly two weeks for the medical center to reopen its clinics statewide. It is unknown whether that attack and the Belhaven cyberattack are related.

“Exercising caution, we are systematically reviewing our systems to ensure their safety and integrity before returning them to full operation. While some services remain temporarily unavailable, the work to restore systems is progressing well,” Belhaven University Director of Public Relations David Sprayberry said in a provided statement to the Mississippi Free Press on March 18. 

“Online courses resume tomorrow, and most student-facing services are operating normally today. Campus students returned to class three days ago, following their previously scheduled Spring Break holiday. Remaining administrative systems are expected to be fully restored by the end of the week.”

The university had not restored services to all affected systems on Wednesday, March 18. The campus was closed for spring break March 9-15, 2026.

Belhaven has not said which campus functions were disrupted. The university also has not disclosed the nature of the incident or who may be responsible

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Torsheta Jackson is MFP's Systemic and Education Editor. She is passionate about telling the unique and personal stories of the people, places and events in Mississippi. The Shuqualak, Miss., native holds a B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Southern Mississippi and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Mississippi. She has had bylines on Bash Brothers Media, Mississippi Scoreboard and in the Jackson Free Press. Torsheta lives in Richland, Miss., with her husband, Victor, and two of their four children.